Christopher Columbus High School (Miami, Florida)

Christopher Columbus High School is a private, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory high school, conducted by the Marist Brothers in the Westchester census-designated place of Miami Dade County, Florida.2010 Block Census Map Westchester, Florida
(). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 30, 2014. It was established in 1958 and was taken over by the Marist Brothers in 1959. It has over 100 teachers, administrators, faculty, staff, and an enrollment of 1,700 students. It was selected, for the fourth time in a row, as one of the "Top 50 Catholic High Schools" in the United States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2008.

History

In 1958, Christopher Columbus High School was built in an area that was then surrounded by Everglades swampland. The school was established by the Diocese of Miami at the request of the Archbishop of Miami Coleman F. Carroll to continue the secondary education program at St. Theresa Catholic School in Coral Gables.

The school opened with two and a half buildings and an enrollment of approximately 150 students. The Marist Brothers assumed the direction of the school in 1959. Presently the Columbus campus extends over 24 acres. In addition to the four major academic buildings, there is the Abraham Science Building, the Lawrence-Bell Media Center, the Howard Korth Music, and Athletic Center and the Mas Technology Complex. Athletic facilities include varsity athletic fields, a baseball complex, outdoor basketball courts, tennis courts, a gymnasium, track, and weight room.

In May 2018, Columbus High School made national headlines after controversy centered around the display of a live caged tiger during the school's "jungle-themed" prom. Videos and images captured the tiger pacing in a metal enclosure. The school's principal David Pugh expressed regret for the school administration decision to allow the use of animal entertainment, stating that it did not reflect the school's Catholic values.

Today, Columbus has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students and over 15,000 alumni.

Columbus' rival school is the only other all-male, Roman Catholic school in Miami-Dade County, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The two schools' rivalry is often limited to athletics (though Columbus competes on the more competitive level across all sports), the rivalry often extends beyond sports and into local politics and culture.

Admission and academics

As a Catholic and Marist institution, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion in its admissions process. The school is funded by tuition with significant discounts offered for 2nd and 3rd children enrolled in the school. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

Columbus is an Elite Smart Showcase School and a participating school in the Catholic High School Honor Roll for 2012–2013.

In order to graduate, students require twenty-four credits and a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. They must also complete one hundred hours of community service by the end of their senior year. The academics at Columbus are based on a phasing system: Phase 2 classes are for the academically challenged who require more time to absorb a given subject, Phase 3 classes are for average students, Phase 4 refers to honors classes for the academically gifted, and Phase 5 refers to Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which have a college-level format and where academically motivated students have the opportunity to gain college credit should they earn the proper score on the AP exam. Depending on a given phase of a class, a student will earn a certain number of points, which are then weighted and averaged to generate a student's GPA, the average GPA being a 3.2. Columbus has more students taking AP classes than any other Catholic school in Miami-Dade County and their passing averages on AP exams are five times higher than the state and national averages.

Curriculum design

Dual-enrollment classes are offered through St Thomas University, Barry University and Florida International University.

Mas Family Scholars Program

Started in the 2005–2006 school year, the Mas Family Scholars Program is an accelerated program at Christopher Columbus High School. The program was started by the Mas Family, who founded MasTec, Inc., a telecommunications company. In addition to having an advanced curriculum, the students in the program participate in extracurricular activities. Mas Scholars are encouraged to participate in sports and to encompass the ideal of the student athlete. Mas Scholars

The program is a continuing collaborative effort between Columbus and the Mas Family. Brothers Jorge Mas, Juan Carlos Mas, and Jose Mas, sons of the late Jorge Mas Canosa, founder of MasTec, Inc. and The Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), are all Columbus graduates.

Program requirements :
* Top 10% score in the Columbus Entrance Exam
* Recommendation from junior high school principal
* Completion of enrichment courses during the summer
* A minimum of four Honors/AP/Dual Enrollment courses during junior year and five during senior year
* B+ or higher cumulative GPA.
* Involvement in minimally 1 extracurricular activity per year
* Attendance at a minimum of two enrichment activities during the year
* Service to the community

Program benefits :
* Students are ensured to complete a minimum of 30 college credits prior to graduation
* Periodic enrichment activities - Personal guidance and academic counseling
* Periodic status meetings with program director to ensure successful completion of courses
* College counseling and organized visits to universities
* Gateway to College
* Columbus College and Career Counselors will arrange periodic meetings with parents and students to explore college and career opportunities
* Preparation for PSAT/SAT examinations
* SAT 2 examinations upon completion of AP or Honors courses
* Induction into Honor Societies
*Ivy League college tours include: Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Brown University, Columbia University, Princeton University, and University of Pennsylvania.
*Field trips: Past Mas Scholar field trips have included visits to the Everglades National Park, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, operas, theatre, museums, Hispanic Heritage Lectures, and art and music lectures.

Students and faculty

The students are 84% Hispanic, 13% White, 2% African-American, and 1% combination of Asian/Pacific, Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaskan. The student-teacher ratio at Christopher Columbus High School is about 15:1. The professional staff includes 17 Marist Brothers, 100 laypersons; 2 librarians/media specialists and 9 counselors/advisors; 45% hold an advanced degree; 60% have over 20 years of teaching experience, and half have been with the school well over 15 years. Many Marist Brothers hold positions at Columbus including president, guidance counselors, career and college advisors, and teachers.

Clubs and social life

Although the school is an all-boy institution, the social formation of the students includes girls from neighboring co-ed St. Brendan High School in after-school clubs. Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, the Catholic all-girls sister school to Columbus, handles the cheerleading for the Columbus sports teams. Christopher Columbus High School also plays host to both Homecoming and Prom events each year for their students and their dates.

Columbus is home to one of the best broadcast journalism programs in the country (CCNN Live). They have been three times Student Television Network National Crazy 8 champions. They have also been recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association, Florida Scholastic Press Association, and National Federation of High School (NFHS). They have won 29 Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Student Production Awards (Emmys) and 5 National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences National Awards.

Athletics

A member of the Florida High School Activities Association and the Greater Miami Athletic Conference, Columbus is the only private school in the state of Florida to compete at the 8A level.

At Columbus, students also compete in non GMAC clubs such as: Roller Hockey, Fishing, Scuba Diving, and Personal Fitness.
Varsity level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, swimming, diving, tennis, track and field, water polo and wrestling.

Junior varsity level sports include: baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse.
Freshman level sports offered are: baseball, basketball, football and volleyball.

In 2009, Christopher Columbus High School won the Dodge Sunshine Cup All-Sports Award for boys' athletics programs in Class 6A.

State championships

*Baseball: 2003, 2015
*Football: 2019, 2022
*Boys cross country: 1997, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2020
*Boys tennis: 1987
*Boys track and field: 2018, 2019
*Boys soccer: 2014

*Boys basketball: 2022

Additionally, Columbus won the ''Miami Herald

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